What are reasonable bathroom remodeling costs?

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rehabbing & House Flipping
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What are reasonable bathroom remodeling costs?

Bradley​ Lobo
Homeowner · Bridgeport, PA · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 3 votes

Hi there,

My wife and I recently bought a house in the King of Prussia area in Pennsylvania. I'm not familiar with bathroom remodel estimates and am trying to get a better sense of how much we should be anticipating spending. We want to replace two walk-in showers that currently have glass doors. 1 shower is 3.5ft by 4.5ft wide by 7.5ft tall. The second shower is 3.0ft by 4.5ft wide by 7.5ft tall. We had one remodeler come out to give us an estimate to redo the two showers. 

They said they would: 

1)take out the old tiles around the shower walls, 

2)replace the floor shower tiles which are currently uneven and result in water pooling in the corners, 

3) and replace the damp drywall behind the tiles on the walls, waterproofing it, and treating any mold before reinstalling high quality acrylic tile boards instead of tiling

We would like them to also add an exhaust to the bathroom that will vent out to the roof but they said they can't do that since they are not licensed in that area. Currently there is no exhaust, so no pre-existing vents to the roof. Also, the house has a flat roof and no attic. Not sure if not having an attic makes it more complex.

They said they offer a lifetime warrantee backed by their company and supported by Good Housekeeping. The quote for two showers was $36k all in (labor and materials), which seems like a lot for two showers (not full bathroom remodels), but I'm not familiar with remodeling costs in general. They said the first bathroom shower space dimensions aren't standard so they require creating a more customized base as well as customized wall acrlyic boards. There definitely is moisture behind the walls. The remodeler pulled out his moisture meter which read 64% on the walls around the shower. The prior owners of the house that had done the bathrooms did the grouting poorly and didn't use the right caulking so it's causing a lot of the tiles to get a little loose. How much can I expect to pay on average per shower (labor and materials combined) in general? Is this price a reasonable price. It's the first quote I've gotten, so it's hard to make out if it's reasonable or not. And how long does a project like this typically take. The remodeler described above mentioned it's a 5-7 day job. This seems fast. 

Appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks

Brad


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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
3y

$36k....? Hell no! That is insane unless you're going with all high-end fixtures and tile, new vanities w granite counters, etc... I would say $5k each would be realistic.

And they can't run a roof vent because they have no license? Yet they can do a shower install? What about the pan test? these guys are scammers.....

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  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Greg Wells:

    I read some of your posts and my situation is on a much smaller scale. I am renovating my tile shower and I don't know what is a fair cost for the job. The shower is 4ft by 5ft with a half wall bordering the jacuzzi tub. Wall has glass rising to about 7 ft as do the tile walls. There is also a glass swinging door. I know costs a different across the country but any guidance you can provide would be helpful.


     With a full gut, waterproofing, cement board (or better) and a pony wall with glass, you are looking at $10 -15k with nice tile....

    0Reply
  • Christina M.
    Rental Property Investor · PA · Member since 2017 · 69 posts · 60 votes
    3y

    @Bruce Woodruff

    Totally agree. It's ouch! That's the world we live in now.

    0Reply
  • Greg Wells
    Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    Thanks for the info Bruce. I am in Fayetteville NC and plan to get a few estimates in the next few months. The wife is hounding me to redo the shower, so it has to happen.

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Bradley​ Lobo:

    They said they offer a lifetime warrantee backed by their company and supported by Good Housekeeping. 

    They said the first bathroom shower space dimensions aren't standard so they require creating a more customized base as well as customized wall acrlyic boards. 

    A) Ahahahaha! Sure........

    B) Total BS. Install a proper vapor barrier, either mud or cement board or Shluter the whole enclosure and then throw up the tile, you need to cut it anyway.

    These guys are full of crap....actually probably crooks. Run. Call a tile company directly.

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Greg Wells:

    Thanks for the info Bruce. I am in Fayetteville NC and plan to get a few estimates in the next few months. The wife is hounding me to redo the shower, so it has to happen.


     Do it right. No enclosure kits. Demo down to the studs, install vapor barrier and use real tile. Shouldn't cost much more and will last forever, attract a better renter - and raise the value of the property a lot....

    1Reply
  • Ronald Ty
    Member since 2020 · 68 posts · 30 votes
    3y

    What you should do is go to your local store and pick out the tile and grout color and then get the misc. Materials cost (cement board, insulation if an outside wall, trash bags, shower faucet fixture, etc). Then, you contact a tile guy (I have had luck posting on a Facebook local group). Get quotes for LABOR ONLY & then have a plumber quote you to install the shower. 

    this will simplify the process and help keep you on an organized budget. Use an excel sheet.

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:

    What you should do is go to your local store and pick out the tile and grout color and then get the misc. Materials cost (cement board, insulation if an outside wall, trash bags, shower faucet fixture, etc). Then, you contact a tile guy (I have had luck posting on a Facebook local group). Get quotes for LABOR ONLY & then have a plumber quote you to install the shower. 

    this will simplify the process and help keep you on an organized budget. Use an excel sheet.


    Naw, no good Contractor will take on a job where the customer buys the materials. The customer will never get 1) all the stuff, or 2) the right stuff, 3) the best quality right stuff, or 4) enough of the right stuff.

    1Reply
  • Joel Forsythe
    Member since 2021 · 88 posts · 80 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Bradley​ Lobo:

    They said they offer a lifetime warrantee backed by their company and supported by Good Housekeeping. 

    They said the first bathroom shower space dimensions aren't standard so they require creating a more customized base as well as customized wall acrlyic boards. 

    A) Ahahahaha! Sure........

    B) Total BS. Install a proper vapor barrier, either mud or cement board or Shluter the whole enclosure and then throw up the tile, you need to cut it anyway.

    These guys are full of crap....actually probably crooks. Run. Call a tile company directly.

    I totally missed the “custom acrylic wall panels” 🙄, no tile…… and they wanted over 30k for just a couple showers? That’s some killer markup. 
    “Lifetime Warranty” in remodeling? Whose lifetime are they referring to? 
    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Joel Forsythe:
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Bradley​ Lobo:

    They said they offer a lifetime warrantee backed by their company and supported by Good Housekeeping. 

    They said the first bathroom shower space dimensions aren't standard so they require creating a more customized base as well as customized wall acrlyic boards. 

    A) Ahahahaha! Sure........

    B) Total BS. Install a proper vapor barrier, either mud or cement board or Shluter the whole enclosure and then throw up the tile, you need to cut it anyway.

    These guys are full of crap....actually probably crooks. Run. Call a tile company directly.

    I totally missed the “custom acrylic wall panels” 🙄, no tile…… and they wanted over 30k for just a couple showers? That’s some killer markup. 
    “Lifetime Warranty” in remodeling? Whose lifetime are they referring to? 

    I know, right? This is basically a shower kit. I wouldn't pay $3,000 for it...let alone $30,000.

    0Reply
  • Ronald Ty
    Member since 2020 · 68 posts · 30 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:

    What you should do is go to your local store and pick out the tile and grout color and then get the misc. Materials cost (cement board, insulation if an outside wall, trash bags, shower faucet fixture, etc). Then, you contact a tile guy (I have had luck posting on a Facebook local group). Get quotes for LABOR ONLY & then have a plumber quote you to install the shower. 

    this will simplify the process and help keep you on an organized budget. Use an excel sheet.


    Naw, no good Contractor will take on a job where the customer buys the materials. The customer will never get 1) all the stuff, or 2) the right stuff, 3) the best quality right stuff, or 4) enough of the right stuff.

    Wrong! I do this all the time on my projects, not just tile. Contractors actually love it. Less cash for them to float. Most of these guys seem to always be broke. And I tell them, if they need to grab anything I missed, to just text me the receipt or I also now have Sherman williams or home depot call me after the contractor purchase all the stuff. Run my debit card and have them email me a receipt. 'Merica!

    0Reply
  • Bill Brown
    Rental Property Investor · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 40 posts · 16 votes
    3y

    Larger, reputable companies are probably going to charge more because they have more in-house costs. Maybe they actually can do a gut bathroom job in a few days, but you are going to pay for multiple guys to be on site every day.

    It sounds like it wouldn't be difficult to find a lower price if you can find another price at all. You should be looking for a solo remodeler that maybe doesn't advertise and works out of a small truck or van. Those guys should be under $12k for that kind of job, but they are harder to find. And really hard to find one you would want to use again. Ask anyone you know who's had a remodel done or maybe try something like thumbtack?

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Rental Property Investor · New Braunfels, TX · Member since 2022 · 408 posts · 408 votes
    3y
    That’s just your experience. I’ve remodeled the last 7 houses this way. I do the demo, i hire the subs, i buy the materials and deliver them, they do the work. It has worked out fine for me. And all my contractors love me😋
    1Reply
  • John MorganPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Grand Prairie, TX · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y

    We just had ours done for 25k. They did an amazing job and added some walls to make the shower a cave style. But I only spend about 5k for my rentals for a gut shower job done by my same crew. lol

    0Reply
  • Matthew Paul
    Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:

    What you should do is go to your local store and pick out the tile and grout color and then get the misc. Materials cost (cement board, insulation if an outside wall, trash bags, shower faucet fixture, etc). Then, you contact a tile guy (I have had luck posting on a Facebook local group). Get quotes for LABOR ONLY & then have a plumber quote you to install the shower. 

    this will simplify the process and help keep you on an organized budget. Use an excel sheet.


    Naw, no good Contractor will take on a job where the customer buys the materials. The customer will never get 1) all the stuff, or 2) the right stuff, 3) the best quality right stuff, or 4) enough of the right stuff.

    Wrong! I do this all the time on my projects, not just tile. Contractors actually love it. Less cash for them to float. Most of these guys seem to always be broke. And I tell them, if they need to grab anything I missed, to just text me the receipt or I also now have Sherman williams or home depot call me after the contractor purchase all the stuff. Run my debit card and have them email me a receipt. 'Merica!

     Sounds like you are hiring laborers . The confusing term of "contractors "  . @Bruce Woodruff is refering to contractors as businesses , and run as a for profit business . Others think "contractors" are the guys on the job holding the tools .  They are workers , not contractors .    

    1Reply
  • Ronald Ty
    Member since 2020 · 68 posts · 30 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Matthew Paul:
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:

    What you should do is go to your local store and pick out the tile and grout color and then get the misc. Materials cost (cement board, insulation if an outside wall, trash bags, shower faucet fixture, etc). Then, you contact a tile guy (I have had luck posting on a Facebook local group). Get quotes for LABOR ONLY & then have a plumber quote you to install the shower. 

    this will simplify the process and help keep you on an organized budget. Use an excel sheet.


    Naw, no good Contractor will take on a job where the customer buys the materials. The customer will never get 1) all the stuff, or 2) the right stuff, 3) the best quality right stuff, or 4) enough of the right stuff.

    Wrong! I do this all the time on my projects, not just tile. Contractors actually love it. Less cash for them to float. Most of these guys seem to always be broke. And I tell them, if they need to grab anything I missed, to just text me the receipt or I also now have Sherman williams or home depot call me after the contractor purchase all the stuff. Run my debit card and have them email me a receipt. 'Merica!

     Sounds like you are hiring laborers . The confusing term of "contractors "  . @Bruce Woodruff is refering to contractors as businesses , and run as a for profit business . Others think "contractors" are the guys on the job holding the tools .  They are workers , not contractors .    

    I just did some tile work kinda similar. Here is the breakdown (BTW, he was a solo company with insurance I got off of fb and he got the tile work done in 2 days)

    tile 2 showers labor only $2k, materials 2k, demo $500 labor only dumpster trailer $300 with carry off labor (half of a 15 footer), 2 faucets $300 & plumber replaces shower drain $2500. So 8k total.  I'm sure I'm missing something in there. The plumbers will get ya every time. Lol






    0Reply
  • Paul DefnginPro Member
    Lender · Rockville, MD · Member since 2008 · 498 posts · 199 votes
    3y

    Wowser. $36k for two bathrooms?!?

    I know I have not done a bathroom remodeling for a couple of years but good gawd, that seems super expensive.

    I’d get a couple more quotes, not necessarily go with the cheapest but wow that seems expensive.

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Account Closed:
    That’s just your experience. I’ve remodeled the last 7 houses this way. I do the demo, i hire the subs, i buy the materials and deliver them, they do the work. It has worked out fine for me. And all my contractors love me😋

    You and @Ronald Ty are hiring labor crews, handymen and unlicensed Contractors as @@Matthew Paul has mentioned. No real General Contractor running a corporate enterprise would put up with a client buying materials. If you find a 'Contractor ' that does, it is a sign that they are not a high-quality, legit company. There are way too many risks involved, from a 'real contractors' point of view.

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Ronald Ty:

    Wrong! I do this all the time on my projects, not just tile. Contractors actually love it. Less cash for them to float. Most of these guys seem to always be broke. 

    And there is your clue that these guys you are using are not legit 'Contractors'. Tell you what - I'll do you a favor at no charge - send me their State and License #s, their Bond Info, their Liability Insurance Policy(s), their Worker's Comp Policy and a copy of their last proposal to you.

    Being licensed since 1982, I have more than enough experience to vet these guys for you and tell you all about them.


    0Reply
  • Jeremiah Dunakin
    Member since 2022 · 186 posts · 192 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:
    Quote from @Account Closed:
    That’s just your experience. I’ve remodeled the last 7 houses this way. I do the demo, i hire the subs, i buy the materials and deliver them, they do the work. It has worked out fine for me. And all my contractors love me😋

    You and @Ronald Ty are hiring labor crews, handymen and unlicensed Contractors as @@Matthew Paul has mentioned. No real General Contractor running a corporate enterprise would put up with a client buying materials. If you find a 'Contractor ' that does, it is a sign that they are not a high-quality, legit company. There are way too many risks involved, from a 'real contractors' point of view.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Rental Property Investor · New Braunfels, TX · Member since 2022 · 408 posts · 408 votes
    3y

    @Jeremiah Dunakin @Bruce Woodruff

    Maybe that makes me the contractor then😂

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Account Closed:

    @Jeremiah Dunakin @Bruce Woodruff

    Maybe that makes me the contractor then😂


    Yep, you are! Congrats (I think). Just remember that you cannot legally act as an Owner/Builder on your investment properties...just your own residence of course.

    Reason being - this would put you in direct competition with Licensed GCs and you would have a huge unfair advantage.....

    0Reply
  • Mark Bohstedt
    Contractor · Missouri and Az · Member since 2023 · 27 posts · 22 votes
    3y

    I’m guessing they are not doing an off the shelf shower kit but custom cultured marble and a pre formed cultured marble shower pan?

     I do quite a few high end bathroom remodels and the bids I’ve received for cultured marble is higher than tile. It’s a good product but I seldom use it. 
    Most of our bath remodels are removing a tub and building a walk in shower, typically about 3’ wide, 7’ long and 7’ tall. Nice glass doors and custom tile work New everything, usually have to move plumbing, Re Route vents, electrical, and occasionally beef up subfloors and change out windows. We use Shluter/Kerdi on every job over denzshield, no exceptions. I never want to return to fix a leak. 
       New cabinets, sinks, fixtures, and flooring, most are in the $35,000 to $50,000 range. I won’t even bid a simple bathroom remodel in the $5-7,000 range. It’s expensive to do everything right and just not enough profit to make it feasible for me. 
    I fully understand a talented diy’er could probably get pretty far for that amount. 

    3Reply
  • Jeremiah Dunakin
    Member since 2022 · 186 posts · 192 votes
    3y

    Maybe I’m just out of the loop. The three gut jobs (down to studs) I’ve done using a three piece surround and tub(not tile I know). Tile floors new vanities new ceilings new every single thing was 5/7000 thousand. I just can’t imagine paying 20k+ for a week to two weeks labor .we did ours in a week. I guess all of our experiences vary. Hopefully you get a great job at a great price. Let us know and congratulations. Keep on goin.

    0Reply
  • Joel Forsythe
    Member since 2021 · 88 posts · 80 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Mark Bohstedt:

    I’m guessing they are not doing an off the shelf shower kit but custom cultured marble and a pre formed cultured marble shower pan?

    I hear you on quality and appreciate pro vs DIY, I know how to bid profit margins in construction, but the quote was Acrylic, and its scope was not stated to anything other than 2 showers being replaced and add a ceiling fan. This is some serious gouging imho. I mean C’mon, both combined are like 31sqft of interior remo work for $36k? I’ll go to bat for legit contractors and a great profit margin, but It’s not even a full bath remod…. 
    1Reply
  • Mark Bohstedt
    Contractor · Missouri and Az · Member since 2023 · 27 posts · 22 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Joel Forsythe:
    Quote from @Mark Bohstedt:

    I’m guessing they are not doing an off the shelf shower kit but custom cultured marble and a pre formed cultured marble shower pan?

    I hear you on quality and appreciate pro vs DIY, I know how to bid profit margins in construction, but the quote was Acrylic, and its scope was not stated to anything other than 2 showers being replaced and add a ceiling fan. This is some serious gouging imho. I mean C’mon, both combined are like 31sqft of interior remo work for $36k? I’ll go to bat for legit contractors and a great profit margin, but It’s not even a full bath remod…. 
    No argument here, if it’s exactly as stated it sounds out of line. Just the timeframe seems off. For a shower 7’x3’, with a mud pan is typically two weeks including wall prep. 
    0Reply
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